My inbox blinked with a new email from my editor addressing some ideas, to which he added at the end that “once we get more exposure, we can write in our bathrobes while staying in eco resorts in some far-flung exotic locations”.

I thought, well funny he had said that, I actually am at one such place: an eco hostel on the Atlantic coast of Uruguay.

Hostels were long known to be the bare-back accommodation for students and backpackers on a shoestring budget. But lately they have become a popular accommodation choice for just about anyone. And they have really stepped up their game (I remember staying once at a boutique hostel in Prague).

I came upon an eco hostel called La Quinta Eco Hostel & Club [http://www.laquintaecohostel.com] in Barra, near the famous resort town, Punta del Este, on the Uruguayan coast. I was curious to see what they were doing to raise awareness among travellers on issues of environmental sustainability.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were doing more than just calling themselves an eco hostel. Firstly, they classified waste: plastic, paper, metal, and glass, but also organics for composting!

The natural materials used for construction on the grounds come from reclaimed wood and 60% of furniture are made from recycled, reclaimed or ecologically treated wood. In fact, most of the materials used for construction and renovations were natural materials. During construction they also sorted out raw materials, and putrescible/ non-putrescible waste.

There is no central heating but the common room has a charming fireplace, which is fuelled also from seasoned, old growth wood waste. The same goes for a bonfire area which is encircles by a number of reused tree stumps.

A solar panel is used to heat the water, with plans to switch entirely to solar heating in the near future. In addition, the hostel will purchase solar panels, as it aims to cover 30% of energy consumption from solar power.

The hostel and club have a natural swimming pool, volleyball and football fields, and a meadow surrounded by fruit trees. The plans also include an organic vegetable garden and more fruit trees, thus making the hostel’s menu more plant-based.

La Quinta is closed in the winter, simply because there is no activity around here outside the season. Pleasant weather for outdoor activities, sunbathing and swimming starts in November and goes into May on this stretch of the Atlantic coast. School holidays in July give the place a little liveliness then, but the rest of the time it’s quiet.

Places like these tend to carry the appeal of an adventure and outdoor seeking crowd, due to the proximity of nature, good for cycling, golf, tennis, swimming, wave- and wind-surfing, etc.

In this down season the hostel is preparing to construct an eco gym with a green roof and living walls, after undergoing workshops which will present other natural materials and building techniques. They will be conducted by a specialist, Gernot Minke, a green architect, a professor at the University of Kassel (Germany), and a director of the Institute of Experimental Research Building. Since 1974 Minke conducted numerous research and development projects in the filed of green building, sustainable architecture and low-cost housing.

The owner, Juan Pablo Verdesio, saw the whole project as an opportunity to reduce consumption, eliminate waste, nurture healthy ecosystems, and connect guests with the environment, either by making them more aware of the changes or more educated about the sustainability of the site and its impact, thus urging them to also act accordingly. This is also a good opportunity for the rest of the community to observe, reflect on and perhaps embark on similar projects.

Deja Dragovic is a freelance writer and photographer, focusing on sustainable development, climate change and eco-tourism. She previously worked for UNESCO, UNDP, National Geographic Go Green (UK) and National Geographic Traveler (UK).
She speaks seven languages and is an active member of the Society of Environmental Journalists.
Visit her site at http://arebelwithacause.org